Last Scion of Valyria V2
by Fantasy Fan 25
Summary: Suck at summarising. Takes place in a slightly different world of the Inheritance Cycle. Different protagonist. It will be a harem, how many girls I don't know. Villains of C.P's will appear like the Forsworn, Razac's, Durza along with some new ones. Elements of GOT, Naruto, Code Geass and a great many others. Disclaimer I don't own any of this. Genre: Action, Romance and Drama.
1. Chapter 1

**History of the World**

 **The Time of Dragons**

The history of the world began long before the Elves, Dwarves and Humanity forged their empires. Epochs ago, the world was populated by strange and gigantic beast and monsters – lightning clad Shaggoths who slept deep beneath the root of the mountains and could only be awoken through the fiercest thunderstorms, burrowing through the planet were the chasm dwelling Marnocks and segmented Leviathans who made their home in the deep oceans. The race of Dragons were ascendant at this time, intelligent and articulate, they were unfading and did not die unless suffering grievous wounds from battle or of the heart. The Dragons made their home by the ruddy glow of the volcanoes. Dragon Spire was wreathed in smoke and fire.

Like all intelligent creatures, Dragons are prone to acts of good or ill depending upon their disposition and the nature of their upbringing. And at this time the race of Dragons looked down upon the world, and found it to be good. Many of these elder creatures had their own domains and ambitions, and frequently warred amongst themselves for fertile land and resources, the right to mate or against an outside threat. Such as the Shaggoths and the other races who would seek to rule the world or topple the Dragons. The Dragons were very clannish creatures and would happily slaughter each other till the end of time but will close ranks to repel an outside threat. The ground shook to the clash of titanic monsters and, for a time, they ruled the land and the skies of the world.

 **The Cataclysm**

For many aeons the world belong to the Dragons, but suddenly out of nowhere the sky began to darkened as a meteorite the size of a mountain came hurtling down. The skies filled with blazing contrails as great chunks of meteors hammered down across the globe. Even regions unharmed were soon devastated as thick cloud of dust settled across the land. The Dragons found the world much changed as the temperature of the land's surface and atmosphere dropped considerably. As day and night the earth had rumbled and the seas had roared. The Dragons slunk away into the dark corners of the world, seeking shelter in the caves of volcanoes and waited to see what would pass. But even there they had not found peace, the Dragons trembled as the deep caverns they had made their home fell around them.

In time the lands settled again, the dust began to clear and the first of the warm blooded race came. The Dragons had spied upon them from the mountain fastness, protective of the new clutches of eggs hatching in the darkness beneath the volcanoes. For all the intrusion, the two-legs had seemed peaceful enough and the Dragons had returned to their lairs and dreamed long dreams of the day when they would be free to roam the skies as they had done before. The oldest and wises entertained the hatchlings with ancient stories of the war with the lightning clad Shaggoths, the great burrowers of the earth the Marnocks and the ocean dwelling Leviathans.

 **Valyria Rises**

When the temperature began to rise up again, melting the icy glaciers that covered the ocean and the land. An island continent that was situated in the Great Eastern Ocean, between four giant land masses, the immense island of Valyria was a verdant paradise. It was a place of incredible magic, where unthinkable powers were harnessed and home to the Dragons borne aloft upon gentle winds. Valyria was divided between the Outer and Inner Kingdoms. Separated by the cloud-piercing Ynnulii Mountains. The inhabitants of Valyria were incredibly long-lived (3,000 years to be exact), though they were seldom immortal. They were slender and swift, with minds and bodies that are capable of great dexterity. In battle a Valyrian's swiftness of mind and deftness of body serves them well individually, it is the combination of the two that granted them such murderous prowess.

They are at once capricious and generous, malicious and caring, carefree and duty-bound, idealistic and pragmatic, servants of both the light and dark. Certain Valyrian, learned to harness and generate chakra and release it outside their bodies through pressure points called chakra points which enhance their speed and strength. Produced within the "chakra coils" that surround and connect to each chakra-producing organ, the energy circulates throughout the body in a network called the "Chakra Pathway System", which is similar to the cardiovascular system.

Chakra is not normally visible to the eye, though it can be seen in situations where a person releases as much of their chakra as possible. Through study, training and experience the chakra can then be controlled and manipulated to create an effect that would not be possible otherwise, such as standing, walking and running on water or on vertical surfaces, exhaling fire or creating barriers.

Through the process of nature transformation, chakra can be converted into five different elements. Most Valyrians have a natural affinity to one element, but they have the capacity to use elements apart from their own affinity. There are five basic elements, but in addition to these, certain genetic traits allow multiple element to be combined into new elements; for example, it is possible to mix Fire and Earth into Lava. While many Valyrian can use more than one chakra elements, very few are able to combine them in this manner.

In those simple and tranquil times, farmlands pushed back the wilderness as the people of Valyria shaped the isle to their liking. In the mountains, hunters found strange beasts: many-headed hydras, bizarre chimeras, screeching griffons, hippogryphs, Pegasus and many other creatures. Many of these were slew, others they captured and broke to their will to use as mounts and in a ring of volcanoes a lone Valyrian discovered Dragons' lairing.

In those times, long ago, Princess Nymeria studied the Dragons long, finding them to be creatures of cunning and intellect; and she loved to engage Draugnir, the mightiest of the Dragonlord, in a battle of wits. Using the special chakra that she alone possess. She was able to communicate with him and his kind in a unique process called the melding, this is done by consciously attuning her own nervous system to send and receive electrical impulses directly through the skin. Effectively, becoming one unified nervous system to ease the sharing of thoughts, emotions, memories and feelings. Over time she formed a strong bond with Draugnir, the two becoming friends, more than allies at need. Borne upon Draugnir who was terrible to behold, the destruction that they wrought together was unmatched, and few dared court the wrath of the Dragonqueen.

During her reign, the Adamantine Tower was constructed; a citadel of martial arts and scholarship, where the wisdom of the corners of the world would be gathered, and later grimoires of the most potent runes would be enshrined. For a thousand years, the Valyrians raised this vast sky reaching structure, harnessing secrets of artificer and runes in equal measure with every slab that was laid. Engineers and artisans laboured for nearly a millennium on intricate metal carvings. The tower was woven round with runes of illusion and warding to protect this treasured knowledge.

Queen Nymeria founded the order of Loremasters who would be both the guardians and pupils of the knowledge assembled within. Every discipline, from warfare and chakra control to alchemy and astromancy, was to be studied. And later on, Rune crafting would be added. Many famed scholars, sorcerers and warriors gathered at the adamantine tower, and such an exchange of knowledge occurred as had not been seen before, and has not been seen since. Though Nymerias' own passion was the pursuit of knowledge, she recognised that scholarship alone would not see Valyria preserved - she knew that a time may come when the Valyrians would need heroes of the blade, hunters of the forest and explorers of the sea.

She therefore encouraged the princes and princesses of her court and that of other lands to prove their personal valour in vanquishing the savage beasts that roam the mountains. Thus was her reign also a renaissance of personal glory not seen since, so vigorously did Valyrians of all ranks embrace her charge. Slowly but surely, Valyria was scoured with fire and sword, the roaming monsters slain or else driven back to the mountains to lick grievous wounds.

When she finally passed from this mortal coil, her legacy remained. For her successor, she left a strong ally with the Dragons, a secure line of fortresses to the north, a citadel of learning; sorcery as well as the most powerful navy in the world.

Ships were built and fleets despatched to explore the lands beyond the seas, despite the destruction of many ships and heedless of any danger the Valyrian fleets continued to advance. So began the great days of exploration, as wealth flowed back into Valyria as cities grew and prospered. Creating architectural wonders, towers like stalagmites, slender and graceful, rose up from steep hills or flat plains; city walls flowed down in undulating curves, black stones glistening with veins of red, purple and blue.

As the Valyrians practice harnessing magic, (completely different from chakra manipulation) at that time, when the Valyrians were ascendant, magic was difficult to control, as it was controlled by thinking, and not speaking the words. What was worse was that anyone could use it and a stray thought while conducting magic could be devastating. One of the magic users nearly destroyed the Adamantine Tower with magic. Because of this problem many saw magic for what it was: a fickle power at best and wholly destructive. Seeing the danger of magic. The Valyrians – with the help of the Dragons, wisely decided that magic shall be sealed and bonded to their language, the Ancient Language, to ensure that such an event would never happen again.

One Valyrian smith learned to capture and seal magic with his hammer craft and thought, binding its wayward energy into hard leather, good solid rock and strong metal or precious stones, taming its power for his own use. Since that time, those known as Rune smiths have learned the art of striking magic runes. It takes a considerable amount of concentration and chakra to strike and bind a rune to a material. However once the process is done, it takes very little chakra to activate it. While other runic items, the ones deem harmless need no longer rely on chakra to activate it.

All runes are specific symbol, designed to be written in paper or carved in leather, stone and metal, but magic runes, as struck by a Rune smith, are far more potent. Each symbol is not a simple letter but a symbol of a concept. Using chakra manipulation to bind Runes to write into paper with a special ink mixed with the persons own blood or banded into leather, rock glass and metal, they hold magic to an item the way a nail affixes two pieces of timber together, creating items of incredible power. The Valyrians began crafting runic items to ease or aid in everyday labours and making unrivalled arms and armour.

The most common and everyday use for magic is a type of rune that seals objects, teleporting items over vast distances in a blink of an eye, long distance communications, along with a wide variety of other things within another object. Sealing Runes can also be used to restrict movement or unseal objects either from within something or someone. Alongside rune- crafting, inventions also flourished such as cog driven devices, water wheel technology and steam engines of various types. Mining was revolutionised by steam-powered drilling and it took fewer miners to excavate a new mine.

The exploratory fleet that sailed north, eventually landed on a massive expanse of land that would be later known as Alagaësia. The Valyrians discovered the Dwarves in their earliest stages, the Dal'yrg, as they call themselves in their own language were hut-dwellers who fashioned primitive tools from flint and eked out a living in the bleak and inhospitable wilderness. Then, as now, the Dwarves were a hardy folk and they endured despite the hardships.

The Valyrians heartened by the discovery that they were not alone and of a potential ally that might be found in the primitive race, for although barbaric, the Dwarves looked toward the Valyrians for wisdom and guidance. Before the Valyrians left, they passed along as much technical knowledge deemed safe for Dwarves to know, such as the art of making true steel, steam powered engines; basic and complex mathematics, construction advice for building structures that did not sag and lasted longer than just a few centuries.

West of Valyria, in the Sunset Sea, lies the mysterious island of Alëlae stretching from two hundred leagues from tip to tip. Beneath its towering mountains are vast forests, steaming jungles, beaches of green and black sand, mighty rivers teeming with monstrous crocodiles and fertile vales. The people native to the island are a beautiful and gentle race they were as tall as teenagers; reaching slightly below the shoulder, possessing beautiful shades of skin, with rounded faces, long pointer ears and soft eyes. Yet despite their small stature and gentle disposition; they were stronger that they appeared and faster, able to catch an arrow with their bare hands or catching a tiny fly between two fingers without killing it.

The Elves as they would later be called after they migrate to Alagaësia were not immortal in fact their average life span was just over three hundred years to five hundred years also strange were the fact that they do not ever eat beasts of the field; they eat fruit, bread and vegetables not flesh and make music not war. Their song and music was said to be as beautiful as they were. They lived in a manner the Valyrians might call crude, yet they were still less barbarous than the Dwarves.

They did not mine for precious minerals but could work metal rivalling that of Valyria's finest smith, to make tools and weapons for hunting. They learned to make bows of ironwood and to construct flying snares of grass, and both of the sexes hunted with these. The primitive Elves did not believed in gods but worshipped the land instead, giving thanks to the stream for providing water to their crops and the trees of the forest for their bows and arrows. A thousand years after the Fall of Valyria, the ancestors of the Elves – for some unknown reason – would eventually travel to Alagaësia and upon settling, would forge an empire that would rival Valyrias knowledge and strength.

To the south, the Valyrians discovered the Vraad of Haggadoth. They were surprise to find that the Vraad had a thousand year life-span, close to their own. However the Vraad were misguided and sanctimonious, trapped by a fallacious belief that might makes right. The Valyrians perceive the Vraad as inflexible, staid and many among the Valyrians perceive that it was only a matter of time before the Vraad turned – after all Valyrian craftsmanship was so prized it was bound to trigger jealousy in others.

And of course once the Vraad saw the Dragons. The Vraad leaders argued long and hard with the Valyrians to share and use the Dragons for weapons of war and conquest in a joint venture, the Valyrians reprimanded the Vraad representatives and told them that Dragons are not unthinking creatures and denied them such a motion. The folk of Valyria know it is folly to claim rulership and guardianship of the entire world, and that it is only arrogance that drives the Vraad to make the attempt. Despite their flaws, the Valyrians eagerly traded with them. A long age of peace and prosperity was begun. Yet for all the riches that flowed into the Vraad homeland, that even servants lived comfortably. Various Vraad leaders were not content upon trade and prosperity; they never truly turned their gaze upon conquest and seizing the Dragons for their own use.

Many cities grew from small fishing villages to accommodate the increase in trade from the colonies and other realms. The ruler at this time Prince Aethis was a noted poet and singer. He gathered all the great artists of Valyria to his court. Dramatists, painters, sculptors, writers of histories and masques all found a place in his palace of carved jade. This was the high water mark of Valyrian culture, when most of their greatest works of art were created. This was the period that saw the creation plays of Azzele, and Torion Firesong's animated court portraits. Prodigious amounts of wealth were spent on grandiose projects such as the crystal Dials.

Dials are strange, mysterious devices, made from psychically interactive crystal, which can be readily formed into solid shapes under chakra pressure, and etched with runes for that device particular function. The completed device is a component that works in a conventional manner, which have the ability to store energy and matter. Dials come in many sizes, such as the tone dial which fits in the palm of one hand or on one ear.

Dials store energy and matter itself, usually by that particular type of energy or matter being absorbed by tiny chakra crystals on one side of the Dial. The chakra crystals are specifically made to store the contents that the dials capture; whether they be images, sound/vibrations or light and heat. The content can then be released by pressing the specific runes on the Dial. As long as they are not used or damaged, Dials seem to be capable of storing their contents indefinitely. If the crystal of the Dial is broken they can become unusable. The basic dials that survive the Fall of Valyria.

 **The Lamp Dial** is capable of storing and releasing light, commonly used for domestic purposes and as the names suggest, they release the light over time instead of all at once. It can be recharge by simply leaving it outside during the day. In the current era only those in the Vraads Gem Sectors have access to Lamp Dials, while those in the Slums or Ghettos must use candles or oil lamps. And if a Slum dweller should fine one, keep it for his own use but get caught having it by the street militia, they will immediately confiscate it for military purposes.

 **The Vision Dial** is used to send out live images on an especially made crystal screen via electromagnetic waves. It is useful for broadcasting news quickly to a widespread population and for entertainment purposes.

 **The Tone Dial** or sometimes known as a Sound Dial, is able to record and replay sounds spoken into it, akin to an audio recorder. The most prominent use of a Tone Dial is storing a singers or poets performance into it. With this method, fans can listen to their favourite performer again and again in the comfort of their own home and later on they became small enough that they can be inserted into one's ear. This was also used as a way to communicate long distances.

Thus, though none could yet know it, the seeds of tragedy and betrayal were being sown. As time passed, the High Chancellor Maledor sensed a growing weakness in the hearts of the Valyrians, a softening of their souls as generations passed. This was a failing the High Chancellor sought to exploit – but not through outright war, for the Vraad armies needed time to husband their strength. After a millennium of rule, Prince Aethis died peacefully in his sleep.

Prince Nymerus ascended the Phoenix Throne, but his reign would not be peaceful, as the Vraad were finally ready to loose there army upon Valyria. The first acts of the war were brutal raids attacking Valyrian trade ships and far flung isolated colonies. When word reached the Valyrian heartland, Prince Nymerus, a prudent and wise lord, halted the lords of Valyria from war making and calm the populace. Instead, he sent envoys to far Haggadoth to lay their claims before the Vraad and to High Chancellor Maledor. In this way, Nymerus hoped to resolve the dispute peacefully by demanding compensation and explanation.

The Vraad received the Valyrian envoys with open scorn, mocking what they called a baseless accusations. Of course nothing could be further from the truth. For a thousand years, the Vraad turned all their resources into making arms, armour and war machines as their own armies needed time to train and husband their strength. Such was the ruling class's contempt for the Valyrians'; the Valyrian ambassador had his head shaved and arms broken and was compelled to return home shorn of pride and bearing the message that the only way Prince Nymerus might gain a single gold coin was if he came to Haggadoth personally and begged before the High Chancellor.

By High Chancellor Maledor's command, the Vraad recommence their raids upon Valyrian colonies; looting and pillaging, wreaking whatever woe they could. Advantage was also sought in subtler ways: Vraad ships shadowed Valyria's merchant vessels as they plied their trade, learning the location of the Valyrias' secret and hidden ports. Yet even as the Valyrian princes gathered to meet, as to what their response would be against the Vraad. Unbeknown to the Valyrians, Haggadoth's armies had begun landing on their shores, their ranks bolstered by savage monsters.

This was a conflict heavily stacked in the invaders' favour. With each lords' blood boiling, Prince Nymerus recalled all the far-spread expeditionary fleets to turn round for Valyria's defence, the citizens of the Outer Kingdoms evacuated to the Inner Kingdoms, the lords of each kingdom mustering for war. With the expeditionary fleet so far away, Prince Nymerus was forced to institute a system of militia levies to reinforce his armies.

When news of this development reached to the Vraad generals, they scorned these new troops, dismissing them as cowards and peasants ill-suited to the warrior's mantle. And so it proved at first – though Griffon Gate held the blue and white tide of Haggadoth at bay, its defenders owed success to their steadfast determination and the fortress' cunning design more than to their own skill at arms.

The bloody months of the siege ground on into years, and still neither side could find any advantage. Though initially frustrated that his attack had stalled, the High Chancellor soon grew sanguine – even amused – by the situation. His armies could not break through to the heartlands of Valyria, but his merciless warriors were slowly grinding the inexperienced Valyrian militias to offal for little loss in return. Before long, the High Chancellor and his generals felt sure, the walls of Dragon Gate would empty, and Valyria would be at the Vraad's mercy.

Upon receiving word of the Vraad assaults that were systematically levelling their outpost, colonies and the subsequent invasion of Valyria, the Sea Lords of each fleet abandon their task, combining their fleets into one giant armada to relieve Valyria's defenders who were nothing more than civilian levies. Never before, or since, has such a sight been seen – the full might of Valyria, at the very height of their power, marching to war. Their oncoming was relentless. Their response to the invaders was merciless slaughter.

The Valyrian armada arrived just in time to break the siege of Dragon Gate. Thus began in earnest a war that would last for well over eight centuries. Blinded by greed and overconfidence from their sweeping early victories, the Vraads soon found their forces overwhelmed. In truth, they had judged the strength of their foe by the least of the Valyrian provinces, but now, the assembled might of Valyria was arrayed in full against them. In battles of ever escalating size and fury, the two forces met again and again, fighting back and forth across Valyria. Great air ships and ingenious weapons of war that belch forth hazardous gas were pitted against Dragon-riders, runic weapons and armour, and Valyria was awash with fire and blood.

The war that the Valyrians fought was a desperate one, with no ultimate victory in sight. To date, Valyria had endured every attack, but has each time paid for its survival with slaughtered warriors and ravaged kingdoms – yet it will not be able to do so forever. As ever more troops were ready to depart from the Vraad homeland, High Chancellor Maledor instituted a system of rotating units that ensured that his forces assaulting the fortresses across the Ynnulii Mountains were always fresh and near to full strength. Yet the war went on, with victories and defeats on both sides. The Vraad armies broke impotently over the strongholds of their foe, yet for their part, the Valyrian armies could not break their opponent either, so the war dragged on.

 **The Fall of Valyria**

For centuries, the war dragged on without respite or sign of victory, and the Valyrians began to lose heart. Moments of peace were few, and even these were tainted by the knowledge that the Vraad would soon return. The Vraad intent on plunder and seizing the Dragons for their own use. Even the implacable Nymerus realised that there could be no victory – only a slow and inevitable defeat. Many long nights Prince Nymerus would brood in his tower. Yet no matter how deep Nymerus despair grew, it never overcame his sense of duty. Ultimately, he called together a convocation of the Rune smiths then living, and assemble them. Knowing full well that the Vraads invasion would never stop, that the Dragons were the Vraads ultimate prize they wish to claim. He devised a plan to secure Valyrias oldest allies future. The hatchlings and many of the Dragon eggs would be transported to Alagaësia to live out their lives, while the eldest Dragons would stay in Valyria and continue the fight.

Nymerus devised a plan to create a great vortex that would sink Valyria into the ocean dragging their enemy with them in a watery grave. It was a desperate and dire plan, with little of success even with the Dragons help, but Nymerus, and many like him, thought a mass suicide would be preferable to the slow death their people were enduring. Many opposed Nymerus plan, calling it a counsel of despair. But such were Nymerus charisma and powers of reason, that if oblivion is indeed to be their fate, they should face it with arrow nocked and sword held high, in the defence of their island home they loved to the last, with such argument he changed their mind completely. With the Rune smith's long preparations complete and many of the female Dragons, hatchlings and eggs safely evacuated, the two forces finally met at the centre of Valyria.

Dragons so numerous that their wings darkened the sky, descended upon the Vraad host. Valyrians and Vraad were slain in their thousands, and the death agonies of Dragons filled the earth with foam. The Vraad completely oblivious to the doom that awaited them, assailed the Valyrian host, determined to break their enemy. Prince Nymerus in an act of stubborn defiance, along with the Valyrian army stood purposefully before the arrow storm of the Vraad, intent on proving they could withstand the worst their foe could unleash. After hours, in desperation and rage, the Vraad army had no choice but to charge into close combat, where the real slaughter began. Nymerus himself struck down two of Maledor's sons and one airship with the help of his mount.

As Valyria's greatest Rune smiths began their great work, the host of Valyria hurled itself at the Vraad army with a fury borne of desperation. Under wailing skies wracked with fire and lightning, Valyria's host held the line. That day, each Valyrian fought like gods reborn, and their princes and princesses battled with a might to which mere words could never do justice.

As the ritual reached its peak, Vraad beast masters urging many headed hydras, chimeras and generals atop manticores attempted to breach the Rune smith's ward – only Nymerus and his blue Dragon Indraugnir were close enough to stop them. They did not hesitate, but charged into the fray. Now at last, the prince and his Dragon met their match.

Though the ensuing battle saw all the ruinous beasts defeated, victory left both Nymerus and Indraugnir mortally wounded. Weary beyond words, Prince Nymerus sank to his knees. Sensing victory, the Vraads howled with one terrible voice, but then the Rune smiths completed their ritual and the Vraads cheers were stilled. With a burst of energy that shook the mountains, the Great Vortex sprang into life. A whirling, screaming tempest of energy engulfed Valyria and broke the island continent apart. So great were the upheavals that all of the Vraad sea-ships were dragged in along with the sea, destroying all the ships instantly.

Those soldiers further inland perished immediately alongside their hated enemy and shattering forever those fortress cities whose walls once stood proudly. Those on the Vraads mighty air ships were not safe either as a hurricane of eldritch energy raged across the skies, as the pilots struggled to keep their individual air-ships aloft and steady; many crashed and many others were torn apart. Valyria laid in ruins, its once proud people scattered and defeated. The Vraad air ships that survive the maelstrom limped home, with a victory that left a bitter taste in their mouth.

 **The Time of Woes**

Maledor who watched the entire battle through his personal vision dial, along with the rest of the populations watched the battle on the Jumbo Dials scattered throughout Haggadoth. When Prince Nymerus fell to his knees they all cheered along with their soldiers fighting the war. But there jubilation was short-lived as they saw what happened to Valyria and what would transpire next. This hard-won situation should have ensured Vraad dominion over the world for ages to come; and on this auspicious of days, Maledor would declare the Golden Age of Vraad supremacy right there and then, however, the fates proved unkind.

Before they had even begun to recover, their empire was beset by natural disasters which were caused by the aftermath of the Rune smiths Vortex that unleashed unparalleled destruction. The coastal cities of Haggadoth were flooded by the sea and its cities disappeared almost completely, leaving only a fraction of their once great harbour cities above the ocean, with the beautiful coastal cities tumbled to ruin, or else swept beneath the seas. The Vraad were cut-off from the rest of the world.

The unquestionable end of the Golden Age came amidst a devastating series of earthquakes that shook the world. These, in turn, were soon followed by volcanic eruptions of monumental proportions. Every single city and settlement of the Vraad suffered calamity, as walls and buildings collapsed, mine workings were shattered and lower levels were flooded by subterranean rivers. The mountains themselves shuddered, in some cases breaking apart to send avalanches in sweeping waves that crushed everything in the valleys below. Sea water – mixed with sewage water flooded the streets and the whole of the Vraad realm was thrown into disarray.

Many of Maledors staunch supporters were angered, as he alone has many of – taken from their earlier conquest – Valyria's plundered knowledge and was keeping it for himself. Maledor's supporter demanded that he share it equally, but he rejected their proposal. His supporters responded by declaring war, however as he alone had an adequately sized army he was able to crush his supporters wide spread rebellion in less than a year. Maledor never got the chance to study many of Valyrias runic artefacts as signs and news came to him of civil unrest popping up all over the areas. He spent the rest of his days fighting one rebellion after another, until finally he died from his wounds. Leaving a power vacuum.

The common folk were angered and up in arms, particularly the a'neesh/females, as the last army that escaped Valyria's fall returned with no Dragons or Valyria's wealth and knowledge of rune crafting as the long conflict had bled their empire white; and nothing to show for the promise of rich reward that had been promise to them. Rioting and protest led by angry a'neesh, grieving wives and distraught mothers; were rampant all across the country, women in great number were dragging soldiers and the city militia off of the street and setting them on fire or torturing them, many died; soldiers and a'neesh alike died from the fierce fighting but many more died from starvation and disease. Although the military eventually won, the Vraad found their vigour expended.

As devastating as the earthquakes were, and the civil war, other menaces were lurking in wait, sinister forces that had been multiplying in secret while the Vraad's attention were elsewhere. Maledors collection of Valyrias most valuable runic grimoires and artefacts laid forgotten, or were abandoned and remain hidden in his secure vault, which would be found thousands of years later, including his most valuable prize a three hundred year old wild Dragon that he kept chained-up with an enchanted metal chain; as the city was stormed and sacked, but its treasure hoard was never found – the Beastmen themselves were eventually forced to leave as Maledor's captured Dragon grew in size over the years and temperament – as Maledor was forced to make his escape and forsake his city. Which were overrun by monsters with warped hearts that simmered with an intense bitterness and hatred for the Vraad; who long ago drove them from their land, a primal rage that can only be sated by grievous acts of defilement and savagery. And this was only the beginning.

 **The Age of Blood**

In the wake of the disasters that shook entire cities and rent the mountains, the Vraad were left vulnerable to the predations of old and new foes. The many invasions that followed began a disjointed series of battles that the Vraad call the Beast wars, for the Beastmen, grotesque hybrids of beast and primitive man, mixed cunning and spite with a savage bestial fury surge through broken city walls with single minded intention of taking back their rightful land. By dragging the Vraad kicking and screaming into an age of blood and violence can the Beastmen claim their rightful inheritance; they were the most numerous of the enemies arrayed against the Vraad, although in truth, there were also Trolls, Craugs and Ogres, including the lightning-clad Shaggoths.

The attacks began before the last of the aftershocks had finished. Enemies infiltrated through unguarded tunnels, overwhelmed outposts with surprise attacks and swept out of darksome valley forests in numbers untold. Previously, the walls of the Vraad had proven impervious, regardless of an invaders numbers, but that was no longer the case. Defensive walls had been toppled and the streets hopelessly compromised by innumerable pits and gaping chasms.

Routes into the cities were now compromised, as the former bastions that were built in cooperation with the Valyrians during the peaceful days of their alliance now lay unguarded. Rune covered gates that could withstand the titanic blows of a Dragon now hung off their hinges or lay split in twain. Upon scenting weakness, armies hungry for plunder, blood and revenge appeared like wolves at the door.

The Beastmen emerged unchecked underneath the streets sewer, appearing suddenly in the very centre of the Vraad cities. By the time the Vraad were alerted to the attack, it was already too late. Pushing bloodthirsty packs of Squigs before them, the Beastmen rampaged through the city's living quarters. As they had already bypassed the dozens of interlocking levels of defence that surrounded the outermost layers of the cities, there was little in the way of organized resistance to stop the tide.

Here and there, knots of warriors stood back to back and attempted to hold off the attack, but one by one, even well defended outpost, towns and cities were taken. In these troubled times, even if a beleaguered city managed to get a messenger past their attackers, it mattered not, for no help was forthcoming – war had come to all parts of Haggadoth. A new era descended upon the Vraad, threatening their very existence. Contact between each city-state was lost and far-flung mining outposts and rural areas were truly on their own. The Vraad city-state was reduced to isolated islands, each surrounded by a sea of foes. This harsh new reality changed the nature of the Vraad and their country forever.

Across western Haggadoth, the attacks were so numerous that the meticulous record-keeping of the Vraad could not keep up. Columns of smoke rose high above snow-covered peaks, each marking the destruction of a small settlement, outposts, fortresses and cities. Further tragedies befell the Vraad on the road, for all byways were full of peril – hunting packs of caragour-riding Beastmen, mobs of hungry Trolls and all manner of beasts were drawn to the scent of blood.

At this time, Thunder Mountain, a volcano which had been dormant, stirred violently once again. The eruptions drove a migration of towering Craugs towards the remaining intact Vraad cities. To combat these creatures, a young officer who became the new Elector after Maledor's death and ambitious enough to win the support of unhappy troops declared the Ogre wars. It was the beginning of a series of desperate counter-attacks that would last almost three hundred years.

Although everywhere was still besieged, the Vraad fought on. Sometimes, through their fury and tightly pack shield walls, the Vraad won back lost cities or opened up safe routes of passage between cities. At other times, they teetered perilously close to destruction. This was a bloody and brutal equilibrium, where the Vraads could not be wiped out, yet nor could they break free and rebuild their empire of old. Eventually, the rising pressures became too much, for a great number of the Beastmen in and around the windswept wastes known as the Badlands joined the fray. After over a thousand years of defiance, the Vraads lost the entire Western side. The once-glorious Vraad Empire now lay shattered and despoiled. Where in the past its power dominated two massive continent, its armies now struggle to defend the eastern continent. It was on this day that the Vraad finally found the toll of their betrayal to Valyria. Leaving a void that could not be filled.

 **The Dwarves and Elves Ascend**

Whilst the Vraad floundered, with the constant raids of Beastmen and as there government quelled one uprising after another. The Dwarves in Alagaësia prospered, by using the technical knowledge that the Valyrians deemed safe for them to know and even improve upon it. The Dwarves built a mighty kingdom, creating castles, roads to ease travelling merchant and massive fortresses to guard their borders. But overtime the Dwarves migrated towards the Beor Mountains, as the weather grew hotter and the land dried up. Turning their original settlement into a desert. To the current era Dwarven ruins can still be found on the Hadarac Desert and for those daring enough can still find gold, if you know where to look for them.

Thanks to the Valyrians sacrifice the Dragons also prospered. Valyrias gambit worked, as the Dragons number grew. The matriarch Dragons often told stories to the hatchlings about their allies and the numerous Dragons who stayed back to fight and die with their riders, to be passed down and ensure that their faithful and loyal allies sacrifice are never forgotten. After a thousand years of Valyrias destruction, the Elves eventually crossed the sea in their silver ships, either seeking new lands to settle, or as some Monk stated, "To avoid the consequences of a terrible mistake."

When they first arrived in Alagaësia, the Elves saw the dragons as mere animals. This was a grave mistake, for when a thoughtless Elven youth hunted and killed a young Dragon as he would a mere deer, it began a terrible war, called Du Fyrn Skulblaka, between the two races. The war lasted many years: even though the Elves repeatedly attempted to alleviate the misunderstanding, they had no way of communicating with the Dragons, until an Elf named Aeger found an abandoned Dragon egg and raised the Dragon that hatched from it as his own.

When the Dragon, named Bid'Daum, (normally Dragons can fly six months after they're born, however they are still the size of a small dog) after eight years of age when Bid'Daum was strong enough to support his weight, Aegar acted as an intermediary between the two races and came to be known as a Shur'tugal, or Dragon Rider. As a result of the pair's peacemaking work, which resulted in a permanent pact between Elf and Dragon, it was decided to establish the order of the Dragon Riders to maintain peace in Alagaësia.

Elves were originally mortal, but gained their immortality and the new generation of Elves gain the chakra pathway system from the bond with the Dragons, over the course of time, the Elves became more Valyrian in appearance as well, growing taller as did the human Riders when they were introduce into the pact. It is not clear, however, how the effects of a bond with the Dragons influenced all the Elves, rather than just those of them that bonded with a Dragon to become a Rider. This bond was different than what the Valyrians had with the Dragons. The new found link between the races was mutually beneficial: it granted the Dragons the gift of speech either vocally or telepathically and Elves the gift of immortality, though not all Dragons bonded with a rider, as some chose to become wild, this was done deliberately to honour the Dragonqueen Nymeria and her people.

The bonded Dragons found it difficult to communicate with their wild cousins, as their language lacked directions nor formed words: instead, the wild Dragons showed pictures or feelings with the mind. For seven millennia the Elves with the Dragons and the Dwarves prospered. Later, Anurin, head of the Riders, decided to include humans into the pact with the Dragons, even though Dellanir, the Elf queen, did not approve of it. She evicted the Riders from Du Weldenvarden, later allowing a select few to enter. Each human Rider, over the course of time, became more Valyrian in appearance, as well as gaining long life or immortality.

Across the vast sea, the Vraad Republic is now a nation perpetually at war with the Beastmen and the newly formed Colonies. To ensure their safety and to keep the Beastmen contain in the western side of the continent; the Vraad had erected a massive wall at the Neck which is considered a strategic choke point that connects the east and west of Haggadoth. The iron wall is an impressive and imposing sight which stands at over five hundred metres and stretches for several miles. If one were so incline a person can simply walk from end to the other. The Vraad also built watchtowers to hold the hordes of wild Beastmen. Each of these watchtowers is the size of a city, provisioned to withstand years of siege and garrisoned with a great host of Vraad's foremost warriors.

To ensure the best and fittest serve the military and the government. The Republic instituted the Trials to encourage hard work and athleticism, to produce more military-quality people – and they did. But they were also used to weed out the weak – and the defiant. And gradually, they were also used to control overpopulation. Over time, they shifted to being offered in all schools, to children and they didn't favour the wealthy. For the current Elector that wasn't enough as he wanted only the best to survive.

Anyone else was, frankly considered a waste of space and resources. The public is angry, but the Senate is afraid to change things that might lead to them losing control. The Trials, is the Senates way to reinforce the Republic's power. And the sinister lengths to which the Vraad government will go to keep its secrets. For the poor, slavery not only comes through irons and chains. But through their very struggle to survive. Time for a change. A different revolution is rising. A blaze in the ashes of a fallen empire.

Disclaimer I don't own the Inheritance Cycle or any of the other published work on this story. This is simply fan-made. Not looking to make a profit. Most scene were copied and modified to my liking from other fan fiction writers or publish writers, such as Noodle hammer, Seer- King, The Warhammer Codexes: High Elves, Dark Elves, Wood Elves and Dwarves. And other great writers who I don't come close to matching their ingenuity. I'm just a really huge fan, which was around the time my PS3 broke which turn out to be a blessing a disguise really because it got me to read and the first I read was The Inheritance Cycle. Followed by Rangers Apprentice, Night Angel Trilogy, Felix and Gotek novels and many more.


	2. Chapter 2 The Beginning

**Chapter 2: The Beginning**

 **Warning: The following story contains mild/strong violence and sexual intercourse, implications/mentions of rape/torture and mild/strong languages. Another less important warning is that this fan fic is in a different AU. A bit of bashing, but only to unimportant characters that have no contribution to the story good or bad.**

 **Sex Terminology to differentiate between individual races:**

 **Elven Sex Terminology (asur = male Elf/asrai = female Elf)**

 **Vraad Sex Terminology (cythar = male Vraad/a'neesh = female Vraad)**

 **Human Sex Terminology (man = male/woman = females)**

 **Dwarf Sex Terminology (grungni = male Dwarf/dwemer = female Dwarfs)**

 **Chapter 1**

 **Prelude**

 **The boy who would become a Legend.**

 **V/Vhagar**

It is my tenth birthday today and the day of my Trial and I knew for certain that this one test will change the whole course of my life. Living in one of the poor sectors and in the orphanage, not much is available for me here or for anyone really and so when the Trials comes along there is a chance for a better future. It's for this very reason that I often sneak into the library afterschool to find and study anything useful. I'm doing this because the subject of the test changes every day and I'm fairly certain that the reason that most people here in the poor sectors fail their Trial was because they don't study up on the laws and policy of Haggadoth. But then again can you blame any of us for that, the library – is it still called a library if half the roof is missing – had fallen into disrepair, the books are worn down or outdated and the entire place is expose to the elements outside.

But ever since I could understand a small part of the world, I've crave knowledge the way a person lost in the desert craves water. And ever since my family died – from the plague that ravages the poor sectors every year – when I had turn seven and drag to the orphanage by a soldier who looked like she had better things to do. I distracted myself from my grief and to cope with the loss of my family, I've been sneaking regularly in to the library under the cover of night and read all the books on various subjects: psychology, tactics, tracking and hunting, politics and various other things that I could get my hands on. Some may ask why a child would study every waking moment of his life would be overkill. Well the answer to that is simple, if you fail the Trial it's straight to the labour camps for you and you will work for the betterment of the Republic until you die. So no it's not overkill, its necessary precaution on my part to be better safe than sorry.

Sitting down on the orphanage's worn down chair, I will myself to stay calm and review all that I've learnt to calm myself before the soldiers arrive to pick me up along with all the other ten year olds in the sector for this year's Trial. After ten more minutes of waiting – I'm suddenly interrupted on my introspection on possible questions and their answers – I hear a knock on the door. Walking towards the door and opening it, I see a soldier with a stern face – wearing the standard black and red uniform of the Republic – standing in front of me, behind him is another soldier, female by the looks of it, holding a spear and shield in each hand and another with a crossbow. Honestly armed soldiers to escort a bunch of half-starve children? What does congress expect to happen from a bunch of unarmed children? A mass riot orchestrated by pre-pubescent's. Looking past the second soldier, I see other soldiers all around the neighbourhood knocking on doors collecting children for the upcoming Trial.

"Are you Vhagar?" I turn my attention back to the soldier in front me.

Nodding and answering him at the same time, the soldier ushers me out, along with all the other ten year olds in the orphanage. Taking my place along with the other children, we were escorted towards a large stadium where the Trials are usually held. Seeing the families of the children waving, knowing that their children will go under the Republic's custody, stay in the poor sector or if you do well go to the Gem sectors. We pass some of the Gem sectors along the way. Every one of us who lives in the poor sector stare at the majestic houses covered in gold and diamonds in awe. Several different things could happen after you take the Trial.

You get a perfect score – 2500 points. No one's ever gotten this – well, except for some a'neesh/girl a few decades ago whom the military and congress made a huge a fuss about. And just after a few months of her Trial the Glorious Elector managed to broker an agreement to finally allow a Vraad to become a Dragon Rider. All Vraad – and by all they actually meant all those who lived in the Gem or rich sectors – under the age of twenty and below were told to report immediately to the Trial stadiums. And what do you know, the Dragon had hatch for her. She was told immediately to pack her bags and continue her study to Vroengard; home of the Riders. We in the poor sectors found this out much later.

You score between a 2350 and a 2490. Pat yourself on the back because you'll get instant access to six years of high school and then four at the top universities in the Republic. Congress hires you and you make lots of money. Joy and happiness follow. At least according to the Republic. You get a good score, somewhere between 2050 and 2149 points. You get to continue onto high school, and then you're assigned to a college. Not bad. You squeak by with a score between 1000 and 1900. Congress bars you from high school. You join the poor, like my family. You'll probably either drown while working the massive water cogs that operates the harbour gates or suffocate to death in the coal mines that fuels the steam train whilst breathing in the fumes.

Walking throughout the sector, we see all of the rich families and the places that they work. Suddenly I bump into another child in front of me, I was about to apologize when I realize that we've arrive at the Trial stadium. The soldier starts by telling us the procedures of the Trial. "We will call you in groups of twenty at a time. There you will take a test of what you know about the Vraads history, policy, academics and various other subjects. Then you will go outside in the courtyard and we will see if any you can pass the obstacle we had set up for you. Everything clear." He barks out loud.

The whole group of children nods at the soldiers' instruction. The soldier walked away and left us in the waiting room. All the other children start whispering that they had to be a soldier. I slink into a corner of the room isolating myself away from everybody else, waiting for my name to get called up. They call us up in order of first name from A-Z. I was among the last group to get called up, alongside eight girls and eleven boys. We each walk through a door into an isolated room. Looking around the room, I see that there is a table with a pencil and paper on it. Knowing that this was the interview portion, I sit down and wait for an admin to come inside the room and begin my Trial. The door opens and the test begins.

The admin in question sits down on the chair right in front of me. He looks right at me, with a disdain look on his face. I look right back at him, already guessing what's going through his mind. That I am an unworthy commoner. Making a silent promise to myself to show this stuck-up prick what I'm worth. That folks in the poor sectors has got what it takes to succeed. And he is just a soldier watching me in disgust even though I am probably smarter than him. Having studied basic psychology I knew immediately what he's trying to do, he wants to intimidate me, to intentionally make myself fail so I could stay in the Lake Sector instead of move up. But I don't look away, I will myself to stay calm and compose. Finding my centre, I match him stare for stare. He has to start asking me the questions, no matter what sector I live in. Then it happens he starts asking me the Trial questions. My trial has started and I will pass if it will take me all day and night.

After the interview portion, the admin abruptly stood up and went to an adjacent room and came back holding in his hand several pieces of paper and gently puts it on my desk. He starts pointing out to me that I will have to answer all these multiple choice questions. After that is the short answer questions. Nodding that I understood everything that he said, I start reading all the questions on the first page, once that was done I begin writing in my answers. He stays in the room to monitor me. This is nothing out of the ordinary. The Republic never trusts us kids in the poor sectors. That's why there is all sorts of plagues in my sector and all the other poor sectors in (0) Los Toler (1) Haggadoth.

Moving onto the next page and reading the questions first and writing down the answers onto the paper. My mind was doing a jig as there were many questions about the government. Most of the other stuff is academic but between studying various subjects in the library and being tutored by my father before his death, who had a very sharp memory and could remember every single question to his test. Of course my father barely passed his Trial, but he did do well on the academic part. The thing that always happens to people in the poor sectors is that the government section to the Trial isn't taught to the children in the poor sectors and as I've pointed out the books are either expensive to buy especially with our parents meagre salary or the ones in the library are outdated that it might as well be used as toilet paper. Luckily I had found a brand new law book that was thrown out by some rich snob six months ago, all because some of the pages were loose and so I brought it home with me to the orphanage for me to study. So passing that section was easy.

The multiple choice part was mostly reading, history and math. The questions were advanced that showed algebra and high school level reading. Thinking about it now these questions were very easy, but the thing that unsettled me most was that it was too easy. After I finished they took me outside for the obstacle portion of the Trial. As I suspected the obstacle was harder than it usually was. My older brother once told me that the obstacle course for him was just climbing, some push-ups and sit-ups. I knew right there and then that I will have to work my best to live a better life.

Walking over towards the obstacle course so I could start. I stood in front of the soldier. He looks at me knowing that I can pass this obstacle. The soldier already knows that people from the poor sector very rarely fail the physical portion of the Trial. The reason for that is because people in the poor sectors are tougher.

"First you will climb this rope leading up to the roof. After, you will run across the roof. When you reach the end you will jump off it at the height of fifty feet. Then you will do fifty push-ups, twenty chin-ups and thirty sit-ups. When you are done with that, you will run the field ten times and you will finish the portion of this Trial. Everything clear?"

Nodding at him. The soldier takes out a timer dial. He has to do this because the faster you are the more likely you are able to become a soldier. The soldier yells out "go" and I run to the rope. Climbing at a steady pace, I reach the top of the rope in one minute. Pulling myself up onto the roof, I quickly run to the end. The roof was made sloppy so there is a lot of bumps, holes and slip hazards. I slipped a couple of times but it hardly affected my time. Reaching the jump, without pausing to take a look down, I simply continue running and drop down when I reach the edge.

Looking down at the floor that I notice was approaching fast, I rip open my long-sleeved shirt and let it billow out behind me as thoughts zip through my head. Knees bent. Feet first. Relax muscles. Land with balls of feet. Roll. The ground rushes up at me. Bracing myself from the impact. The soles of my feet suddenly hit the ground. Using the momentum to roll towards the push-up area. I get into position and start doing fifty push-ups. Halfway through my arms started shaking. Reminding myself that my life and future was on the line. That reminder kept me going. Before I knew it I was finished.

Running my laps at a steady pace but as I jog around the field I slowly start to increase my speed. Soon my heart was beating at a frantic pace as I sped along the track, each lap was one third of a mile. In the fifth lap I slow down to catch my breath. Ten seconds later I pick up the pace. Faster than I thought I had finished my laps and my Trial. Knowing I finished I looked up to see my time. Impressive if I had to say to say so myself. But suddenly out of nowhere the soldier ushered me into a corner of the Trial stadium along with a bunch of other kids. The admins stamped something onto my test and stuffed me along with the other kids onto a steam train, its destination towards the wall. And in this one instant only one thought rang through my mind; I failed.

But how could I have failed, I actually had enough time left to re-check my answers on the test paper and felt so sure of my answers that I didn't even watch the admins grade it. My emotions screams at me to lash out, to do anything but I smother it down. I look around at the other kids that are with me all with varying emotions and reactions: some are crying while others are withdrawn huddling in the corner or in a state of denial. Thinking on it, it's always us the slum-sector kids who fail. A couple of days from now, the Republic will send officials to the ones with families. Making their parents sign a contract that gives the government full custody over there child. Parents simply have to nod and agree. A few will even celebrate, because the Republic gives them one thousand notes as a condolence gift. Money and one less mouth to feed? What a thoughtful government.

When the train arrived at our destination, the labour camp looked nothing like a labour camp. We were led down into the corridor and the next I thing I knew I was being strap down to a table, surrounded by people wearing masks, looking down at me and cutting at my left knee, ripping something out. I yell at them to stop. But my plea went on deaf ears. "Why aren't you sending me to the camps?" After receiving an injection on my right eye that stung like a wasp sting is when it happened, dreams or jumbled memories began flying past that I could feel with certainty were not mine and in a time long past. So many memories and so much knowledge bursting forth in my mind that it felt like my head was about to explode. But by the end of it, I had experience and possess knowledge far beyond my age. Many of the memories held pain, suffering, death, sadness and grief. I saw a great war and lives ended by the millions when it could have been saved. I blacked out from the onslaught of overwhelming emotions and exhaustion. Barely hearing one of the mask person say, "I think you killed him."

Waking up in a cold sweat I finally opened my eyes, I found myself in a basement full of dead bodies, when I shook the nearest body off; I looked into the dead and empty eyes of one of the a'neesh/girls who took the Trial with me. I was about to scream when suddenly I hear a voice like thunder echoing through my mind.

" _ **Awaken and Come to me."**_

Recoiling at the touch of another consciousness in my mind no less – one so vast and powerful – that it felt like a mountain was looming over me. _**"Think your answer."**_ It instructed. Finally I dared to ask with my mind, _"Who . . . are you?"_ The voice answered, _**"One who would help."**_ Uncertain and unwilling to dive right in, I ask tentatively. _"Who are you to offer me help and how can I trust you?"_

" _ **Now, now little one."**_ It replied placidly. _**"'Who' is but the form following the function of 'What' and what I am right now, is a voice inside your head."**_ It responded with a tone of that knew the answer to his own question. _"Well I can see … or hear that."_ I remarked awkwardly. _**"Of course you can, I am not casting doubts on your powers of observation.**_ It said. _**"I am merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a voice inside your head who he is."**_ _"Oh,"_ was my intelligent reply.

" _Well putting that aside,_ I thought to myself before continuing. _How can you help me, how are you communicating with me; with your mind no less, where are you and what's the catch?"_ _ **"Well for the first question I can give you access to long-lost knowledge of Valyria that would put some sense to your jumble memory. Also the place that I am currently residing has many books, perfectly preserved and grimoires of the most potent Runes. All this just lying here, just waiting for someone to learn all the knowledge contain within."**_ I admit the prospect of learning other than Vraad knowledge is incredibly tempting.

However his second answer and third answer to my questions shocked me to my core that I froze. _ **"As to how I can communicate with you over the side of the wall and with my mind no less is that I am a … more or less a six to eight thousand year old Dragon."**_ That revelation hit me like a tonne of bricks and when the shock finally wore-off, I cotton on to the fact that he was/is an eight thousand year old Dragon. _"Six to Eight thousand years old,"_ repeating that number. _"And why would a Dragon such as you be offering knowledge to me and where did you even get Valyrian books, grimoires and what the hell are Runes!?"_ The Dragon then began explaining to me how he had been captured by Maledor and kept as a trophy along with Valyrias various knowledge as spoils of conquest during the Vraad's early raids against Valyria's outlying colonies.

However at the end of the war, knowing certain defeat the Valyrian's remaining Rune Lords, gathered together to deny the Vraad ultimate victory. The Rune Lords achieve this by weaving an incredible and intricate spell that had the ocean swallowed Valyria thus killing all on the continent in an instant. But Valyria's destruction had far-reaching consequences that was felt all over the world, but the Vraad would feel the full scope of their betrayal keenly to Valyria and suffer for it. The harbour-city where Maledor kept him prisoner was swept up with a mile wide and a kilometres long wave headed towards the city, which came crashing down towards it with such force that swept everything in its way and weakening the cities defences. Maledor was forced to abandon the port-city along with all of his spoils of conquest as the harbour-city became overrun by the Beastmen. The Dragon then explained how he couldn't just escape because he was chained-up with an enchanted chain and how he had survived all this time by using his mind to lure and subdue prey. He also told me how he found and heard me when I unintentionally sent out a psychic scream during the time I was being experimented on not so long ago awakening him from his century of slumber. And that if I still didn't trust him, he instructed me to look into my memories when the dreams started and that it will confirm many of the events that he mentioned.

During the Dragons lengthy explanation it pretty much answered my fourth question, he wants to be free. But, I still couldn't grasp the fact how he had survive all this time from the other side of the wall, because from what I've learned the other side of the wall is a desolate wasteland. No vegetation's means no animals; no animals means no meat for the Dragon to feed on. Unless of course the Republic had been lying about that too. But despite what happened to me today, I don't think the Republic would lie about that. As I've read in a book that Dragons grow very slowly, but they never stop growing. And surely as an eight thousand year old Dragon he must he must be at least tens or hundreds of metres long by now. Meaning he must eat tons of meat just to survive. And also how did he survive the massive tsunami that swept through the harbour-city, shouldn't he have drowned.

The Dragon then responded to the questions or my suspicions that's been buzzing around in my mind. _**"The place that I'm currently staying is called Dol Goldur. It is the ancient seat of House Maledor, and by no means an ordinary harbour-city."**_ He began telling his story which again I could tell is going to be a long one. _**"Although crowned with high towers, turrets and watchtowers, with stone walls and oaken gates and iron portcullises guarding its every means of egress, its castle is an ancient fortress and in truth a colossal rock beside the sea, a rock some say looks like a lion in repose when the sun sets and the shadows fall. Like an anthill hundreds of mineshafts penetrate the lower parts of the rock of Dol Goldur, where many veins of red and yellow gold gleam untouched in the stone after millennia of mining."**_

Continuing his tale or explanation. _**"Maledor's ancestors were the first to begin carving halls and chambers from the mineshafts, establishing a ring fort on the rock's peak, from which they could survey their domain. Dol Goldur is measured to be twice the height of the wall. Almost three leagues long from west to east, it is riddled throughout with tunnels, dungeons, storerooms, barracks, halls, great vaults, stables, stairways, courtyards, balconies and gardens. Dol Goldur even has a port inside it, complete with docks and wharves and shipyards, for the sea has carved great caves into its northern face, natural gates deep and wide enough for galleys, longships and even cogs to enter and off-load the ships cargoes. The Lion's Maw – the huge natural cavern that forms the main entrance into the rock – arches three hundred feet high from floor to ceiling. Over the centuries it has been widened and improved upon, and I dare say that fifty horse riders can ride abreast up its broad steps.**_ The Dragon finished at last.

Again his explanation answered my questions, but also brought up new ones. As if sensing where my thoughts were heading. The Dragon took the initiative and told me that he had been able to explore and map his prison by looking through the eyes of birds and all manner of beasts by possessing them. As for how he caught his meal, he often possessed Killer Whales to corral Humpback Whales to the Lion's Maw inner docks but would also sleep for decades or centuries at a time. And because of how big the Vraad ships are, Maledor built a port that allowed for numerous deep-sea ships to dock. Lastly the enchanted chain allowed him a certain amount of freedom, but if only if he stayed within the confines of Dol Goldur. That's also why he wants to be freed as the numerous caverns within the Maw could no longer hold him comfortably and he's had to move to the docks risking discovery by ruin or treasure hunters, as he was getting to big and sooner or later the docks will no longer hold him.

For a moment I use the lull of the conversation to consider my answer and to explore my options. Then again what are my options, I go back to the orphanage tell them what happen and then do what exactly. No one would ever believe my story and the government would most likely kill me to keep their secret quiet. No Vhagar Targaryen is dead, for now at least. With my mind made up the Dragon who introduce himself as Hannibal of Carthage, proceeded to give me instructions through our mental link. Grab as many supplies as I can carry such as food, water, bandages, and clothes, head to the stables grab a horse wagon to go meet him at the Maw. Also as an afterthought he told me to try and find out if there was a deeper purpose as to why I was sent here as well as all the other children.

Acknowledging his instruction through our link I begin to stand up and start pushing corpses off of me, but something is seriously amiss. My perception of the world around me changes. The world is blurred and augmented at the same time. Enabling me to easily identify certain characteristics in the things I behold in my environment. Exactly as Hannibal said although during his explanation I never put much thought to it, until now. Hannibal has explain his uncanny ability to discern the unseen and differentiate between friend and foe. And it seems I have been given this same useful ability as he has. Immediately noticing the brilliant golden glow of the door amongst the backdrop of a blurred room tinged with blue, but while heading towards the door, I suddenly felt disoriented due to the rush of information forcing me to stand still for a few seconds to sort it all out. I take deep breaths and relax myself. Once everything starts to settle, I begin inching my way towards the door again, careful not to slip-up or make any noises, as I see beyond the room noticing the aura of several guards in angry red, some are stationary while others are walking about doing their rounds. Focussing my Dragon Sense even further I can see that the guards have a proximity radius outlined to how far they can see, so long as I'm careful, quiet and stick to the shadows as much as possible I should be okay.

There's only one guard where I'm currently at, he pauses by the door, stands still with his back on it and after a few minutes he starts moving again. Making sure that I track him to the other side of the room I slowly start to unlock the latch on the door, opening the door while keeping in mind that the guard was still on the other side. I begin to inch forward, at the same time slowly closing the door to ensure that I make as little noise as possible. Just in time too as the guard began moving again, quick as I can – with an injured leg – I hobble my way towards the stairs and hide underneath it. I will myself to melt into the shadows, to become nothing more than a slip of darkness. The guard trudged past the stairs, he reached into his soldiers coat left breast pocket and pulls out a time dial to check how much time he has left on his shift, grumbling he latched it shut. Seconds later, he disappeared down the dark corridor at the other end of the hall.

Thanking Lady Luck in my head profusely, that the guard hadn't notice the small trail of blood on the floor. With careful and silent footsteps I begin ascending the stairway, stopping once in a while to make sure that the stationary guards are exactly where they are and calculate my route by staying out of the way of all the patrol guards. Continuing up of the winding staircase and taking the second left. I paused for a few moments to ensure no guard comes down the stairs. Finally reaching the top of the stairs I see the exit door, opening it and without thinking or pausing to check the area with my Dragon Sense I walk through the door. When I hear the clear dragging of booted feet's of two guards walking together towards me to my right, I immediately curse myself for my carelessness. But as of right now I have no time to reprimand myself as I quickly activate my D.S. franticly looking around the narrow corridor for a hiding place. Farther down the corridor to my left is a waste bin similar to the one's that my mother cleans in a daily bases, around the Gem Sectors and with my small malnourished body I easily squeeze myself in.

After the guards pass the waste bin I make a promise to myself to be mindful of my surroundings, calmly walking into what is clearly a restroom area I take the second exit to bypass a security checkpoint. Another pair of guards walk together but soon pass and broke up to follow their own patrol patterns. Activating my D.S. to imbue the guards with a red clear highlight again, as to keep track of the red aura through the wall corridor. Blending into the shadows I take a right when I reach a green sign, I lean in to a corner to make sure the corridor is clear and avoid another security checkpoint. Cutting through the maintenance area and ducking beneath a partially open shutter door. I begin climbing upwards until I arrive onto a roof, I look down and though I'm obviously closer to the ground – because of the basement where I came from – but it's still several metres down the ground.

I spot an open window to my left, shuffling my way to the very edge I jump over to the other side taking care that my right leg receive the brunt of the landing instead of my left. After all the last thing I need to do is pass out from insurmountable pain travelling from my left leg and fall to the ground. I clamber through the open window, walk up the stairs and followed the sole guard along the corridor until he suddenly comes to a halt, then I shrink into the shadows and stay still until he turns to another corner. Once the guard's aura is far enough, I enter the door –highlighted in a gold aura – on the right. Here at last I find a small clinic, with my D.S. activated I quickly find the necessary medical supplies I need. I start by cleaning my left knee, bandaging it up as best as I could, pop a painkiller tablet and grab whatever medical supplies I need for the journey ahead. Before I leave I look around the room for a map to show me where I am and where the stables are.

On the adjacent room wall I find the map of the massive wall structure that separates the West and East continent of Haggadoth to study. Kneeling on the floor I carefully place the map on the ground and drew a line on the map to follow all the way from where I am to the nearest kitchen, records office and the stables on the west side. Finish with studying the map, I fold it up and put it in my bag along with the supplies but in a different pouch. Getting out of the room I immediately head to the records office, my next destination, – which is thankfully near where I am – to gather the necessary information about what the doctors are doing here with the children's bodies. Hearing the voices of one of the doctors who operated on me I quietly follow behind him and his colleague to eavesdrop for any relevant information.

They speak of a few things such as new regulations, when they're going to meet up again in one of the city's many pleasure houses and new batches of test subject arriving next week. After listening to them prattle on about nothing important, I quickly disengage from my eavesdropping and head straight to the records office. I arrive at the records office, two guards stand to attention guarding the door at either side and it looks like there not leaving anytime soon for me to try the front door. So I have to find another way in. Looking around I find a ventilation shaft that may lead into the room, I start pulling them out loosening each bolts carefully one by one. With that done I slowly lift the ventilation grate off the wall, making as less noise as possible and place it down on the floor carefully.

Crawling in the expose ventilation shaft, I turn around and lift up the ventilation grate back into place carefully as to not arouse suspicion from a nosy passer-by. Shimmying my way through the ventilation shaft with my D.S. activated, I begin to move forward within the ventilation shaft and after several minutes I spot a grate covered in a golden aura. Quickly I move towards it and once I arrive on the grate I start to open it using my own meagre body weight as some sort of battering ram to open it. The ventilation grate swung widely open, making a loud clanging noise when I crash onto the floor. Thankfully the room seem to be silent proof as the guards aren't investigating the loud noise I just made. 

Looking around the room I see drawers numbering in the thousands and I realise that even with my D.S. activated it would still take a few minutes or a few hours to search through all this. If I'm ever to find the information I need, I would have to choose which information is relevant enough but also ensure that my bag doesn't become too heavy as to slow me down. After thinking for a few moment I decide that the names of the doctors responsible and the nature of their research should suffice for now. I walk towards a drawer glowing green and open it. Inside I pick up a folder, casually flipping through it when suddenly a memory crystal from a vision dial falls and clatters onto the floor. Picking it up, I start looking around the room for a vision dial to see what's inside, looking around the records hall I find one in the corner and put the memory crystal in. What I saw horrified me. The images was blurry and oversaturated, but I could out make out the shape of a young cythar/male on a gurney pleading for his life with a strange bright red sign imprinted on his hospital gown.

Turning off the vision dial and pocketing memory crystal I went to find another report this one about the plague and as I read though the report a deep fury rises within me as I finally found the culprit and the main reason as to how my family died. Just like with everyone living in the sectors or everybody living in Haggadoth, I'd always thought that the plagues were spontaneous and random. But this report says otherwise. There was also an incident report about a doctor who had wanted to reassign because he'd figured out the true purpose for his research. That the Republic engineers the annual plagues. This didn't go over very well. The commander in question was ordered to smooth the whole matter over. The end of the report simply says that the matter was resolved without military casualties. But I didn't really care about a dead Vraad doctor who had grown conscience and was killed for it.

Reading another report. The Republic start off in the most obvious place. Those high rise terraces full of grazing animals isn't where most of the meat comes from. The Republic has thousands of underground factories for the animals. They're hundreds of feet deep. The report says that Congress didn't know what to do with the diseases that kept developing down there and killing off hundreds of animals. But someone remembered the Republics war with the Colonies. So now every time an interesting new disease appears in the underground factories, doctor and alchemist take samples and craft them to infect the population. Then they develop an equivalent vaccine and cure for it. And then they had out mandatory vaccinations to everyone but a few slum sectors. As I kept reading I couldn't believe that the Vraad government would use their own people as lab rats. I put the report into my bag for safe keeping.

Going to another drawer and grabbing another report. This one with the title "How to distribute the Virus effectively to the Slum Sector". The report contains details of how the virus should be pump through a system of underground pipes. Sometimes into the water supply, sometimes just directly into a few specific home to see how it spreads. That starts off a new round of plague. When they think they've seen enough evidence for what that strain can do, they secretly prick everyone (everyone still alive that is) in those sectors with the cure during a routine sweep, and the plague dies down without anyone being the wiser until the next test strain that is. But the next report is the most relevant to me. For the past centuries since the Elector Primo been elected he has decreed that none of the children who have failed the Trial should go to the labour camps. The Republic should use them to run individual plague experiments instead. He also issued that the defiant should also fail the test automatically. This Elector is a fool he only wants sheep's in his country. This is probably the reason why I'm here because instead of being intimated by that admin I dared to stand my ground. But without my Trial test as proof I can't be too sure.

Now I begin to see, they use the plagues to cull out the population of weak genes in the same way the Trials pick out the strongest and the defiant. But they're also creating viruses to use against the Colonies. Putting this folder into my backpack also, I look around for a quill and paper when I find them I start writing down the names and personal details of the doctors involve. Once done I get up and start to think to myself that the Republic had sought to use me as a lab rat, instead in an interesting turn of events, I uncover the menacing truth about the Republic and the sinister lengths to which the government will go to keep their secrets. Still all this will mean nothing if I get caught in here.

Deciding that now would be a good time to make my escape, I head down towards the stables, being careful to avoid any patrol guards on my way there. Finally after close calls and narrow escapes I've finally arrive on to the stables, quickly and quietly I hitch a wagon onto a horse, place all my supplies onto the wagon including a tent and some hay for the horse. Opening the door, looking around to make sure the coast is clear – ground level and above me – I slowly make my way to the Maw where Hannibal resides.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Arrival and Training**

 **Disclaimer.**

 **I don't own the Inheritance Cycle and any of the other stories or shows that inspired me to write this fan-fic. I'm not profiting from this story other than the fact that it's something that I wanted to do. Also some scenes are from other authors or other sources that I've read and incorporated into the story. If you have a problem with that then please don't read the story or bother flaming, since I'm going to be too busy with work or life in general to even care for your opinion. To those readers who will keep an open mind about this story. We'll, all I can say to you is** **Thank You** **.**

 **Warning: The following story contains mild/strong violence and sexual intercourse, implications/mentions of rape/torture and mild/strong languages. Another less important warning is that this fan fic is in a different AU. A bit of bashing, but only to unimportant characters that have no contribution to the story good or bad.**

 **Sex Terminology to differentiate between individual races:**

 **Elven Sex Terminology (asur = male Elf/asrai = female Elf)**

 **Vraad Sex Terminology (cythar = male Vraad/a'neesh = female Vraad)**

 **Human Sex Terminology (man = male/woman = females)**

 **Dwarf Sex Terminology (grungni = male Dwarf/dwemer = female Dwarfs)**

 **Chapter 3**

 **Knowledge and Strength.**

V/VhagarPOV

When the gates were fully open, I gently tap the reigns and both charges tossed their heads before galloping forward into the dim gloom. Once I was far enough from the Wall sentry I whispered a few words that turned on the lamp dial that I placed between the strapped poles that connected the horses together. I could tell that the orb of light unnerved the horses, but after a few minutes the horses paid it no mind as it help to push back the darkness. Travelling throughout the remainder of the night, not even stopping to feed the horses or water them I drove on, with only the rhythmic noise of the wagon being pulled across the dirt path and the cantering of hooves against the ground were the only sound that accompanied me in the night, leaving me to my thoughts.

In spite of my flagging strength making me clumsy, the burning pain on my knee a major source of distraction and my drowsiness, all three of which were a major contributing factor of forcing me to slow down as to not cause an accident. But not daring to stop to rest or redress the wound I pushed forward to put as much distance as I can from the Wall. After five bleary hours, dawn finally began to light the sky. With a whispered word I turn off the light dial. Not knowing much about horses, I feared that they might die if I urge them any further, ever since I woke them up I hadn't had the time to feed them or allowed them to drink water. Escape was at the forefront of my mind then and so for the sake of the horse's wellbeing I decided that a quick stop was necessary. Pulling out the map to look for a suitable rest stop nearby, I found that there was a lake several miles away, judging from the map it was moderately lush and is hidden behind small hills. The horses would enjoy the shade and fresh water from the lake.

With my destination set I continued onwards, eventually leaving the desolate land behind me and after several hours entered grassland: a modest lush field with signs of ruins being claimed by nature in ages pass. Cresting a hilltop I stop the horses too breathe in deeply the fresh untainted air. Spotting a box hill sheltering a pine wood, I headed towards it and unhitch the wagon behind it, out of sight from the trail. Leading the horses towards the edge of the lake, and let them have a drink first while I looked around for a spot to eat with a good vantage point and at the same time keeping a look out for any hidden predators lurking about. Once the horses had, had their fill I picketed them under a large tree beside a grassy knoll, both horses immediately put their nose to the ground to assess the quality of the fodder. When they found it to their liking they began to rip bunches of the thick green grass from the ground, chewing it with that grinding noise that horses make. If anyone deserve this stop it would be the horses, as I woke them up and left without giving them breakfast.

Atop a large hill there was a large boulder that I spotted jutting from the ground, scrambling on top of it, to look at a wide world that was not controlled by the Republic. There was no sign of habitation, no place to seek succour. I'm afraid of the coming night, the meeting with Hannibal most of all, but it was a distant feeling, after all I had survive for years drinking – while many others did die including my own kin – contaminated water that the Republic pump through the water supply for their own twisted way of keeping control, I already had my brush with death at the tender age of ten and came out relatively unscathed. And now I'm travelling through a hostile environment to go meet a Dragon, what is this journey but just another stepping stone among many.

Once I was sure that there was nothing dangerous about that could surprise me, I limp back to the wagon to get some alcohol to clean my wound, redress it with clean bandages and cobbling together some assortment of food together to eat a well-deserved brunch. Feeling like enough time had passed and I had my fill. I gathered the horses and hitch them on the wagon again, I had wanted to gather some of the berries around the clearing but not knowing much about plants I decided that the food I had would simply have to last my journey towards the Maw. Riding on towards the Maw and keeping my eyes peeled for trouble, I couldn't help but notice the scenery of crumbling walls that I pass by: of the ancient cities that fell millennia ago and wondered what the thoughts of the inhabitants of the city were as they gaze upon the field outside there city, surrounded on all side by the Beastmen and saw that there was no way out.

Tempting as it was to stop, to explore the ruins for artefacts and treasures. But I decided that in the end it would be a worthless endeavour. The main reason for my haste was that Rangers from the Wall could already have been dispatch to find the horses and wagon that had gone missing last night. Secondly with my bum knee, limited supplies of food and water I can't afford to stay for several days at a time to explore an ancient city looking for long buried treasures and besides who knows what dangers lurk in those old ruins, not to mention that even if there is treasure to be found there is simply no space in the wagon to put them in, and that the extra weight would only slow me down that could ultimately result in my capture over treasures and artefacts that I wouldn't be able to keep in the end. Besides how many are given the opportunity to meet with an eight thousand year old Dragon. So it was simply best to continue onwards, to avoid capture and possible interrogation/torture as to how I broke in one of the Vraad's supposedly impregnable structures.

Thanks to the map that I stole I was able to reach my destination after several days of travelling safe and sound. It help immensely that the map had been mark with places that offered safe succour in the night. During the first night while in the safety of a shelter I managed to do a proper inventory of my supplies and when there was something missing or something I needed but forgot to take into account, in account of me in a rush to escape the Wall, I simply re-stock or added some for my journey. Such as the rope and climbing gear that I took with me, although I seriously hope that I wouldn't have to climb anything – no matter how close the distance – on account of my knee.

Sadly that was not to be, when I finally arrive I notice first glance that there was no visible way in none that I can see any way. So I hitch the wagon and picketed the horses behind an alcove, once I feed them, watered them and rested them for a decent amount of time, I untethered one horse to scout around the mountain for an easy entrance. To my dismay I finally found one but it was several miles away from the ground. Only one word – that I'm probably the first person to say it – came to mind that describe my situation "bugger". The very next day I had relocated the wagon to where the entrance was, once I had eaten my breakfast I unbuckled the horses and set them on their way as soon as dawn broke. Now armed with only my wits, tenacity and the limited supply on hand, the journey up the sheer mountainside would be gruelling test on its own. Yet by using a using a system of improvised pulleys and the dead weight of two adult Squigs – both of which I lured with my dwindling supply of food laced with anaesthetic – that I finally began the journey up the perilous face of the mountain, mile by painstaking mile.

Pulling myself up slowly along the mountainside, I arrive at last on the small entrance that I spotted from the ground out of breath and with burning limbs, I scramble onto the small ledge and rolled onto the corridor away from the beating sun. I laid on the spot for a few seconds to catch my breath, then pull myself up with one arm resting on the archway to take the weight off my injured knee. Looking around, my eyes darting left and right I saw on a quick glance a bridge spanning a broad gulf ahead of me as I step into the labyrinthine corridors of the Maw. Bridges, walkways and gantries span the caverns.

Before I start crossing the bridge entirely however, I dismantle the seat that I sat on while I pulled myself up the mountain with my makeshift pulley system. Wrapping some rags and clothes together that I saw lying around, I was able to make several torches in the event that my Lamp Dial goes out. With my tiny Lamp Dial illuminating the way, I crane my neck out to take look and gingerly crossed the bridge. Creeping into the dark and dingy corridors of the Maw, I passed many skeletons scattered about this desolate place while navigating my way around the winding pathways and long corridors. Proceeding gingerly down the stairs, I drum my fingers nervously, as doubt begins to creep at me, I stop and take a step back the way I had come. This was a bad idea, a tiny voice whispered in my mind. Snarling at my cowardice, but the brave front that I put on for my benefit did very little to loosen my knotting muscles. No, I decided. I'd come too far and risked life and limb to back out now. Whatever happens I'm going forward.

Steeling my nerves, I do my best to ignore the smell of the long lingering festering smell of decomposing bodies, mixed in with the salty air. Wait, unsure, I take a deep whiff through my nose, sure enough the air smelled salty and is getting stronger the father down I go. As the saying goes, "when in doubt, follow your nose". Limping as fast as I could through the corridor where the salted air was coming from, when at last I could hear waves echoing off into the distance, I shielded my face when suddenly a colony of bats rushed towards me, when it finally subsided I stepped-out into a platform overlooking an underground harbour. I'm stun, speechless by the sight of ancient warships still moored onto the Maws docking bay.

I started to stagger towards the ancient ships, teetering along the tilting stairway with a torch in hand, making my way down the winding staircase, without warning I fall flat on my face, slammed down against the floor by sudden wind and movement. Hearing an echoing rush in my ears and tasting blood on my lips. Cursing, that I'd tripped over my own feet. But then I lifted my head and across the gap of the harbour I saw the reason why I'd fallen. I barely noticed that my jaw hung open stupidly. It had all changed. In the face of all that, despite knowing what laid dormant in this mountain, and because for the first time in my short, hard life, I Vhagar at last learned the heady rush of true undiluted fear. Without thinking, I shot up to my feet quickly albeit clumsily and put my right arm on my left chest in salute and began to sing. 'Soul of ancient earth!' I cried. 'Wake from sleep! Let your spirit rise, let your heart beat, let your eyes open and let the cloak of life cling to your bones'. I felt an odd and familiar thrill thrum through me. The cavern mouth gusted with fresh smoke, gusting and swirling over the rocks. _'You know my voice,_ I sang in my mind. _You sense my presence in your long slumber. Come now answer the call. Listen. Awaken. Stir'._

I repeated the first verse of the Dragon-song, haltingly at first, then more assuredly. _'My will is before you,_ I mind-sang. _Bind your will to mine. Our minds shall be joined, our powers merged and let our soul be connected. We shall become one._ The shadows of the cavern entrance shuddered, shook and were broken. A stocky, black shape, sinuously and dully reflective shape, slid slowly away from the gloom-lit cavern.

The gusts of smoke grew stronger. The air before the cavern entrance seemed to shimmer from sudden heat, and I notice a low hissing growl emerged. During the song and regardless of his size I didn't see or hear Hannibal's approach, his immense size not disturbing anything as he darts within the columns easily and quietly through the chamber. As he rears-up to display his full terrifying might. When you're an orphan you learn to take notice of every little thing. So he must have move fast, astonishingly fast, faster than thought. I could hear the great Dragon Hannibal lifts his head up and sniff the air.

Part of me wanted to crawl into a ball, clutching my head with my hands, cowering inside one of the warships until it shot clear. There is simply no other words to describe Hannibal. Leaning and pressing myself against a withered old railing, I stood my ground. 'Dragon,' I whispered, from my cracked lips reverently. It might have been the name of a wild primal god, of blazing fire and wanton destruction made flesh. I also notice the wind itself had changed – it was as if the elements of air and fire had burst into a sudden violent union. The ships around the dock rocked crazily, thrown around like corks, from the downdrafts of splayed wings.

I finally found the courage to gaze up at Hannibal. In the face of living in captivity he still retain his magnificence. Despite what he said about how he ate, I still expected to see a malnourished Dragon, but now that Hannibal had step-out into the light, that his size was fully revealed, his body alone I estimated to be the same size as a sixty metre man-o-war frigate that the human sailors use to patrol there waters, and his tough black-iron scales that covered his upper body glistened as if new-forged metal. Due to his advanced age, a large number of his jet black scales have completely ossified in places, into needle-like spikes or razor sharp fins in various sizes along the outer side of his thighs, and all along the upper-side of his long, thick and powerful neck. His head was roughly triangular and easily the same size as a two storey house. All four of his legs were as thick as an ancient oak tree, but the thighs on his hind-legs were much thicker than the ones on the front and the way he moves is very reminiscent to that of a cat; by moving first the front and back legs on one side, then the front and back legs on the other side. Hannibal's own presence bled out a mix of raw potency and feral energy that I instinctly felt, was the truest mark of a wild Dragon. The only thing that ruin Hannibal's magnificence, was the enchanted-chain wrapped around his thick neck, as if he was common house pet. His wildness and vivacity smothered. It was a sad sight.

Suddenly a cold alien and intelligent presence press into my mind and Hannibal spoke the same way he did before…..

 **Hannibal/Ba'al POV**

" _ **Although completely unnecessary. You honour me young Lord with the ancient Dragon-song of awakening and binding".**_ **I mind-spoke to the exhausted and diminutive figure before me. Now that he is here, I could only feel pride with the boy's iron will and extreme resolve in the face of overwhelming odds. In spite of being malnourished and the injury he received just recently, he still managed to make the journey here unaided, and saw the ingenious way he solve the problem of climbing the mountainside with an injured knee by creating a series of pulleys to pull himself up alongside the mountain. I had fully expected for him to wait until his injuries healed but evidently he had other ideas. Truly this child before me has the blood of the Dragons flowing through his veins. And only time can tell what sort of person he'll grow into.**

 **Before anything else however I sent him a mental image of how to remove the collar around my neck. Thus releasing me. My head sails through the air. Then I slide myself down onto the freezing water and stayed where I am. Steadying myself to keep my neck levelled onto the harbour floor. So that Vhagar wouldn't have to reach too far to unlock the pin.**

 **However despite levelling myself to the harbour, the collar is still too high for him to reach. Nevertheless this did not deter Vhagar, I was just about to get out of the water when he told me to stay put. So here I am now using my internal heat to chase away the chill of the freezing water, as I watched the child looked around for materials to assemble another pulley. After several hours of looking around guiding the ropes through the grooves of a set of rotating wheels that use to held the ships sail. He finally finished assembling his new pulley. Utilizing rocks, pieces of steel and wood as a counter weight, he began pulling himself up alongside me to reach the pin. Applying his own weight to turn the pin by hanging on to a metal rod that he found lying around, to use as leverage, he inserted into the many holes that dotted around the pinhead and began to pull down anti-clockwise. At first his effort to turn the pin, wasn't showing anything and I began to worry that I might have to wait for a few more years to be released.**

 **When all of a sudden I heard the distinct sound of grinding/squeaking metal that's been screwed tightly shut for millennia, unexpectedly loosen up. At first the pin was turning very slowly, and for a few minutes all I could hear was grunting and swearing coming from Vhagar, as he exerted himself to turn the pin. Every time that there was a pause as he struggled to turn it, the temptation to turn around to see his progress was great, but I keep my neck still, for fear of tossing Vhagar off. But as each agonizing minutes went by, I notice that he was having an easier time turning it. Within a few minutes the large neck brace that had kept me here for so long tumbled down into the harbour, the chain making a cacophony of noise as it jerked itself taut and dragged itself to its origin point by some unknown force rocking the boats gently as the long chains violent movement disturbed the water.**

 **For a long while I stood stock still, my Draconic mind unable to believe if this was simply a dream. I turn my enormous head to confirm with my own eyes that everything, all of this is really happening. When I saw that it was, unable to express my emotions into words I instead gave a mighty roar that shook the mountain, at long last freedom. The whole situation was absurd, after many millennia of isolation and loneliness, with only the cavern entrance offering a small window to a much wider world. Constantly taunting me with longing. Now that the moment is here, swiftly as I could, without thinking or looking around I moved towards the cavern entrance and took to the open sky. At long last I could finally quench the thirst of feeling the wind beneath my wing and to soak in the rejuvenating warmth of the sun on my scaled-skin for the very first time.**

V/Vhagarand **Hannibal/Ba'al**

As soon as the hinges on the neck brace fell into the harbour, Hannibal just stayed where he was, completely frozen. Suddenly without warning he gave a mighty roar that reverberated through me and possibly the entire mountain, he began swimming towards the cavern entrance very quickly, belch a gout of ink black smoke, coiled his tail and pounced into the air. The downdraft was tremendous sending me flying towards the other side of the wall, the air knocked out of my lungs. Grimly I watched the massive lizard-like, serpentine form rippled up into the heavens. Hannibal's black-red scaled body flashed in the mid-afternoon sun. His red wings flexed, propelling him upwards like an arrow leaving the bow string. It was over so quickly. Slowly and carefully I made it to the entrance and watched Hannibal move as fast as a storm-front, thrusting higher on powerful wings, each one as long as a lighthouse and as wide as his own body.

" _I guess he won't be back for a while, if at all,"_ I thought. Not that I can blame him, being so close to freedom but unable to reach for it because of an enchanted chain keeping him in this mountain-harbour, like a frog in a well. Hopefully after his done spreading his wings he'll come back so we can get down to business. Especially since he's the only one who knows what or where everything is and point me in the right direction. Right now I need to find shelter, gather food, wood to build a fire and a blanket. I forego, going in deeper to escape the worst of the cold wind blowing in the cavern, I'm already deep underground so it'll be cold everywhere. Deciding to build my makeshift camp in an alcove to escape the worst of the downdraft when Hannibal eventually returns, the last thing I need is to get blown around while I'm sleep. Also I've only just noticed that for several hours now, my injured knee wasn't troubling me anymore, when I peeled back the bandages I discovered that it was healed, no scars to indicate that I have been injured at all. I test my knee tentatively, touching it, bending, stretching, doing squats on the spot, and nothing. How. Hmm, I'll just to wait until Hannibal gets back. Maybe he'll have the answer.

Morning finally came and I found Hannibal curled into himself, sleeping. Again how could someone so enormous not make a sound? But eventually decided to let the question go. Right now there were far more important things to attend to. However before that I had one obstacle, waking up an eight thousand, it's not like there's a manual out there for this kind of situation. Deciding that discretion is the part of valour and going by instinct I began extending my consciousness towards Ba'al, coaxing his mind gently into wakefulness. It took a few tries but finally he opened his turquoise eyes that glowed with an inner fire, briefly bathing me in a greenish-light. I watched in fascination as Hannibal stood to his full height and shook his lethargic limbs from slumber. I still can't get over how big he is and I doubt I ever will. _**'Sit down and get comfortable V,'**_ Ba'al booming voice echoed in my mind. And I did as ask.

 _ **First off Vhagar, if you haven't gotten it to your head yet, you are a direct descendant of Valyria. Specifically on the line of Nymeria the one and only Dragon Queen, her and her children had the same ability as you have awaken, centred on the mind; being able to feel emotions, read the thoughts of others, create illusions and most of all an experiential exchange system based on physical touch; this allowed Nymeria to transfer complex ideas to her offspring, allowing her offspring being capable of already having born with the skill, language and knowledge that Nymeria has already learnt, etc.**_

 _ **Now to explain in detail the stages in which your mental powers will develop and the probable abilities you will unlock. Don't interrupt me with questions as I'll likely be explaining to you the concepts of each exercise during your training or you'll be reading about it on the many books that Maledor took and kept here.**_

 _ **Stage 1: You've already gotten a glimpse of what it is, the Dragon Sense a preternatural ability to perceive hidden information in the surrounding environment, and discern the motives or purposes of any individual or objects you scrutinize. Also with the activation of your D.S. would be a higher brain function; what I mean by this is you can retain and recall information quickly. Other advancement would be; physical enhancement such as speed, agility, strength and healing factor; able to heal small wounds or grievous injuries such as wounded knee there, increase chakra reserves, affinities to at least three chakra natures and can see the flow of chakra. Although with the Dragon Sense ability it's more than likely than you have a strong affinity to lightning. Again I stress out to you V that you may not have unlock some of the things I mention, or you may have unlock them all or may have unlock something different. Also when you can find a mirror and at the same time activate your Dragon Sense you'll soon see a black ring around the black dot like pupils on each eye.**_

 _ **Stage 2: You will now have two black ring surrounding a black dot like pupil. The improvement that comes from this; are overall increase in chakra reserves, physical enhancement, healing factor increased and better chakra control. Better hand to eye coordination, fast movements can be seen and tracked, more chakra affinities unlock. However if you haven't unlock any one of the chakra natures by this stage then you won't have any elemental affinities. Overall improvement of your Dragon Sense abilities; by standing still you can extend your field of divination and covering a larger area. Being able to sense the desires and emotions of individuals you scrutinize, and by placing your hand on their head and applying mental pressure will allow you to sift through images or explore their memories in their head. Although if the person resist you or has training then you will have a harder time of it. And if you're looking for a specific memory then you will have to explore each individual memory that he has accumulated. Rune-sight; understanding and seeing the lines of power that connect to each individual Runes. And how best to utilize them to increase their power or support each other.**_

 _ **Stage 3: Three black rings**_ _ **surrounding a black dot like pupil. Superior chakra control and enhance chakra reserves which enables you to create and use the Doppelganger ability. The doppelganger ability or technique is an extremely advance technique and uses massive amounts of chakra when created. First you start by splitting your consciousness equally to say three doppelgangers for example. Afterwards with the right amount of chakra you can create an exact carbon copy of yourself. The advantage to this technique is that you can gain a destroyed or dispelled doppelgangers memories, making it a perfect for the use of scouting and training tool. However be warned Vhagar this technique uses high amounts of chakra which could kill you if you should exceed your limit, and if you summon or create many doppelgangers and subsequently dispel them all at once, and if your mind can't keep up with the memory transfer, then under these circumstances it will cause a massive memory overload and neural bleeding.**_

 _ **Other related advancement would be Dragon Sense; killer intent is unlock; this takes on many form, by looking into your opponent's eyes you can paralyse him with your will or intent to kill. Of course if you have a strong opponent who is used to dealing with life or death situation at that point they may just shrug off the oppressive effects. Also numbers will determined the potency of your Killer Intent. It will ultimately be up to you to test the strength and limits of your abilities. Also one last thing this D.S. allows you to bind Runes in paper, leather and rock, efficiently and effectively with the minimum of effort and chakra requirements.**_

 _ **Stage 4: The final stage grants four black concentric rings around a black-blue dot like pupil. Interlinked vision with any of your doppelgangers. You're Dragon Sense, chakra control, chakra reserves, physical enhancement, rune-sight and healing factor is at its peak. Extreme killer intent anyone caught in your line of sight expressing hostility towards you, you can will that individual into killing themselves or their comrades. Take care using this technique as this will lead you vulnerable to attack. Also you can make people forget they ever met you, or simply forget who they are by going through an individual's memory you can erase and trap that specific memory into a cage of amnesia. Again this takes time, and very difficult to accomplish and can be broken by you or a strong mental/emotional trigger. So you have to be thorough. Other advantages is inputting behavioural commands for your spies or double agents. Also allows you to bind Runes on glass and metal. And create entire Rune-etch matrices on air with chakra alone. Again I stress out to you that you may get the powers mention or not.**_

Wow, was my only intelligent reply. All that power and more. But first though would be training and study to unlock each concentric rings and gain more abilities. Studying shouldn't be a problem, ever since my twin brother died I've somehow gain his thirst for knowledge. Hmm, remembering my twin brother, he had been born with a weak constitution and was always bed-ridden, so in order to pass the time he would read. While I on the other hand was born with boundless energy, that few in my age group could match and even some of the older kids couldn't keep up with me. Always running around and getting into trouble with other neighbourhood kids, and I was only five years old.

Anyway my brother and I were connected in ways that most people didn't know or understood, I could always feel when he was awake, or when he was having a coughing fit, and when this happened I would always run into his room with water and blankets in tow to chase away the chills. My mother used to say that my brother and I shared one soul. Long story, short he died at seven and a coldness settle in my heart; the poor conditions, unable to afford proper medications and the rampant plague experiments, didn't help his already fragile health. The odds simply weren't in his favour. After his death I calm down, I began concentrating on my schoolwork instead of blowing it off; thinking before that it was just a waste time, I still played outside, with my older brother Joharys but not as much.

Given what I went through after my Trial, maybe his death was a more merciful way to go. Still I can't help but wonder if he were still alive he'd be drooling at the prospect of reading ancient Valyrian knowledge and culture. Our heritage. I'm interrupted on my reminiscing and depressing thoughts by Ba'al, when he starts giving me instructions on my training. He must have took my silence as a que to continue his explanations and training plan for me.

' _ **First off you will need to promise me that you will abide by my ruling and teachings, and not go half-cock by experimenting on a technique without first telling me. Secondly you will not reveal yourself to anyone until you have learnt everything from me and recite the many books here available to you by heart.'**_ ' _Why can't I show everyone my power and show that test administrator what I'm made off,' I questioned._

' _ **Because the element of surprise is your biggest advantage,' I informed the impetuous child.**_ _'What's that got to do with not strutting my stuff and helping the Slum sector folks out?' I asked. 'Besides with my access to my ancestral memory shouldn't it make easy for me to do this?'_ _**'If no-one has ever seen it or seen you, they can only guess and speculate about you and your abilities when you finally reveal yourself; as your Nymeria use to quote: you must be subtle as to seem invisible; don't ever go into a fight or a battle confident of victory.' 'As for your second statement there is a difference between thinking you understand something and true understanding.' Good he seem to be contemplating my point. I guess I should continue and drive home my point. 'You're still only one child, you're enemies work for a country that defeated your ancestors all those millennia ago; granted the price for achieving their victory was high as they are not as powerful now as they were then, but neither are you. Picking a fight with them leads to a fight with the Republic meaning only your death will be your accomplishment and the chance for your peoples rebirth will likely die with you.' I patiently explained.**_

At my silence he continued.

' _ **Now to begin I'm going to teach you the foundation of every strong Dragon Lord that came before you, chakra control. All the techniques you'll learn will mean squat if you don't have great chakra control. You probably have an idea of what I'm talking about thanks to having access to your ancestral memory.'**_ I answered with a nod. _ **'But for now will just pretend that you don't and start you up from the beginning. 'Let's start, chakra is the fuel that will drive many of your techniques; elemental attacks, illusions, chakra barrier, rune crafting and to some extent physical enhancement. The more chakra you have, the more you can perform and the powerful you can make them. The better your chakra-control; the less chakra you will have to use and the more effective they will be.'**_

' _Nice,' I thought already dreaming about firing powerful elemental techniques to scare or threaten those bastards who experimented on me with information, as soon as I mastered chakra-manipulation._ _ **'Not really, many can perform devastating elemental attacks but rarely hit their targets, because it's so obvious and slow that it always gives your opponent time to dodge or block.'**_ **"I have to nip Vhagars fascination with flashy techniques in the bud before it could take root and get himself killed."**

' _Oh,' was my only intelligent reply._ _ **'It often devolves into who can fire-off the biggest and most powerful technique that leaves no room to dodge, which is wasteful of chakra.' 'You need to be able to cause maximum damage to your opponent, with the minimum of effort.' "I have to drill this into my young charge."**_

' _But if it leaves no place to dodge or hide, don't you have to fire something back or risk getting killed or seriously injured.' I queried, with curiosity._ _ **'True sometimes it is unavoidable as I have seen Valyrian Dragon Lords possessing a few one hit kill techniques in their arsenal, however it didn't make them strong as their cost is way too high to be use frequently and took too long to prepare."**_

' _They don't. Why?'_ _ **'Even if you were to grab a Valyrian tome containing various dangerous techniques and learned it. You would still lose to an ordinary soldier.'**_ _'If a special attack could be beaten by an ordinary person or soldier then that technique isn't strong.' I pointed out._ _ **'It is the user that makes the attack strong. Someone armed with only a pebble could kill another armed with a crossbow if it's thrown by a master. In short devastating power still needs to hit its target to be effective.'**_ **I reprimand, hopefully this will sink in.**

' _So speed trumps power and having flashy techniques won't necessarily make you a powerhouse.'_ I can see that Ba'al was happy and relieve with my answer. _**'Precisely.'**_ **I replied with much relief, that my future Rider understood a lesson many grown Adepts struggled with for years despite the answer staring them in the face. Many Valyrian teachers often wished for a blank slate, than a pre-trained one, who had already develop and picked-up bad habits. The masters who trained aspiring new Dragon Riders had to spend weeks getting their charges to outgrow the bad habit they picked-up in the academy all the way to Adept Rider.**

' _So what should I start off with?' I asked hoping to start my study and training._ _ **'You will learn the skills and exercise from these books by yourself, having access to your ancestral memory should make it easy for you to memorise the knowledge within. If you managed to get through them and demonstrate your skills, I'll point you to the advanced books. If I don't get around to it you will search out more materials on your own. In fact it might be better if I leave you a mental-list of books that you'll need before I leave. I will test you once a month'. Vhagar nodded in understanding, agreeing with the plan.**_

Receiving the mental-list he prepared for me, Ba'al then gave me direction to the vault where Maledor stored his spoils of war. I couldn't help but notice his amusement when he mentioned it; the vault. I asked him about it, 'What's so funny?', and he replied, 'You'll see.' After a few minutes I finally arrived at an ornate door, I gave the vault door a once over and realise there was no conceivable way I could open it or break into it. If this was the source of Ba'al's amusement; me being unable to open it, then it isn't very funny. Looking it over again there doesn't seem to be a key-hole or any other device that could open this thing.

I looked at the door intensely, at the elaborate decorative words and my eyes widened, 'Whoa!' I breathe out. Random images and words start popping-up into my head like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle and I realise immediately that this a blood sealing array. A very elaborate one, very elaborate, and very precise about who lets it lets in, and anyone not of proper lineage would get a very nasty surprise for their troubles. So that's the reason why Ba'al was giggling for a lack of a better word. Maledor had intentionally put away his prizes; in the hopes that it would be safe from others, only for him to accidently lock himself out. Keeping it forever out of his reach. I crack a smile at that.

Wait, my practical side pulls at me, if this is supposed to be a Valyrian blood seal array, why is it here? I ask myself. Did Maledor build it? And if he did what would happen to me. As random and various scenarios buzz around my head, Ba'als voice broke through the chaos and explain to me that a captured Valyrian built this; her name was Me'hlendri of house Nymeria, a high valued hostage. From her Maledor hoped to impregnate her and bore him Valyrian/Vraad children, however his seed never bore fruit, thanks to an anti-rape seal she placed on herself, and as the months went by with no sign that his seed took no root; wounding his great pride, he ordered her to build this vault. She acquiesce to his demand but nevertheless worked to undermine him, she also realize that this was an opportunity she couldn't miss to preserve her peoples knowledge and at the same time deny Maledor her peoples knowledge.

Buoyed by this, she laboured for night and day, determination swelling within her to accomplish her greatest masterpiece as well as achieving a measure of revenge. When it was finally completed, Maledor was quite satisfied with her work, boasting to his closest advisors and friends; 'that even a stubborn Dragoness could be tame', not realizing that Me'hlendri would ultimately get the last laugh. Ba'al pointed out to me that Valyrian used a mix of blood and ink; a Dragons blood would also be preferable, when starting to make a sealing matrix, then chakra trapped in a psycho-reactive crystal, however she also put her own essence, just a miniscule amount saving the rest later for the finally. Maledor had instructed his servants to place, his spoils of war in his newly made vault, never doubting that Me'hlendri would betray him, having bent her multiple times; although he would soon find out that there is a difference between being bent and being broken. As throughout her ordeal and constant humiliation at Maledor's hand she remained ever defiant.

The day finally came, many of his advisors caution him not to put anything in there, but thankfully he didn't heed there warning. When she finished her lengthy explanation; explaining to them the mechanics and necessary information on how to open the massive vault doors. She began the final ritual, activating the blood seal array and pouring her remaining essence into it. Closing the vault forever and thus releasing her. Maledor flew into a rage for days before calming down that there was still an opportunity to gain Valyrias knowledge for himself. Although this event would ultimately be remembered by his rivals and cause him all sorts never ending troubles and headaches.

Biting into my thumb, coating all of my fingers in blood and place all five of my bloody finger prints against it. I wince in anticipation for a violent rebuttal from the door, but thankfully I hear the clicking of tumblers opening from within, revealing the contents, this was a welcome and pleasant sight to be sure. Looking within he saw that the vault wasn't very large. It was big enough for two people to walk side by side and that was about it. There was no treasure of financial value, no stockpiled weapons, nothing of the sort. There were however neatly catalogue shelves with books and scrolls on them. Reaching for one, it read; **Introduction to chakra and its many application to everyday life in Valyria.** Flipping the page onto the contents page, the list were as follow; chakra control exercises, elemental affinities, medical chakra the hidden affinity, Rune-theory and sealing chakra the second hidden affinity. And thus with this my rise to power begins.

 **Overview**

As the mighty Dragon looked towards the columns from his vantage point, he saw his future Rider Vhagar, whom he had been watching for the past three hours running up and down the column he had been climbing by channelling chakra to his feet. There were two columns facing each other, but separated by a couple of metres; Vhagar would run to the highest point, then come down and repeat the same process to the other column. When he had read about chakra adhesion, he had been exited to learn it, as it would make travel easy and that as long as he had chakra he could cling and run on any vertical surface for as long as he could. Sadly, Hannibal told him that it doesn't work that way. There is a cooling period, in which the chakra that he's channelled to his feet will eventually wear out and he'll have to wait for a few seconds before attempting to start again or risk damaging the nerves on his feet. In order to offset this dilemma, Valyrian's often carried ropes and climbing gear when staying or climbing a vertical surface.

Still Ba'al couldn't help but smirk at all the energy that Vhagar has, most eleven year olds wouldn't have enough chakra to go up even a quarter ways up the tree, let alone be able to channel their small chakra reserves to their feet and even try to walk up any vertical surface. But even still when Vhagar started to train to control and use chakra Ba'al learned two things. The first was that he had very high chakra reserves for a boy his age. Currently Vhagar's chakra level was off the chart for a boy his age. The second thing he learned was that he had flawless chakra control. Ba'al learned this when Vhagar attempted the first chakra control exercise; which was to keep a leaf stuck to his head without it falling off, after that was keeping leaves stuck to his elbows and so on. In which he got it on the first two weeks, after it was explained to him. This was proven when V was able to channel his chakra to his feet and walk up on a slick vertical surface. This surprise Ba'al since in most cases whenever someone had large chakra reserves their control was abysmal. While those with smaller chakra reserves have excellent control, but V seems to have both without either of the drawbacks.

When Ba'al learned this it pushed any doubt that V will be a force to be reckon with in the near future. Vhagar had once ask that if he had large reserve and flawless control why then did he to this over and over again. His response to that was it's always good to remember the basics and until this exercises become second nature to you, you'll do as I say. Also these basic exercises were to improve his stamina (not that his stamina needed improving) and at the same time increase chakra reserves and to keep his chakra control high.

 **Authors Note**

 **Sorry guys that this chapter took so long. And the next chapter may take even longer due to my laptop crashing.**

 **Credit goes to Ulfark for letting me borrow some of his scenes for this chapter.**


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